It was last April when I was so excited to meet Erica James, author of Coming Home to Island House at the Deepings Literary Festival in my home town and to have afternoon tea with her. You can read about that event here. Having been privileged to help reveal the cover to Coming Home to Island House in July last year, I would like to thank Elaine Egan at Orion for sending me an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

I have also previously reviewed another of Erica’s books, The Dandelion Years here.

Coming Home to Island House will be published by Orion on 11th January 2018 and is available for pre-order here.

Coming Home to Island House

It’s the summer of 1939, and after touring an unsettled Europe to promote her latest book, Romily Temple returns home to Island House and the love of her life, the charismatic Jack Devereux.

But when Jack falls ill, his estranged family are called home and given seven days to find a way to bury their resentments and come together.

With war now declared, each member of the family is reluctantly forced to accept their new stepmother and confront their own shortcomings. But can the habits of a lifetime be changed in one week? And can Romily, a woman who thrives on adventure, cope with the life that has been so unexpectedly thrust upon her?

My Review of Coming Home to Island House

Marrying Jack Devereux will bring challenges for author Romily Temple that she can’t possibly anticipate.

I’ve always enjoyed Erica James’ writing, but I thought Coming Home to Island House was one of her best novels and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt the title was inspired as it made me think of John Donne’s ‘no man is an island’ because so much of the story is based around relationships. Erica James understands flawlessly how we interact with our families and within society, with an overall message that, indeed, no man or woman is an island. I found the exploration of how we become who we are, through the way we are treated by others, or we perceive we have been treated, was very thought provoking. Even the abominable Arthur was an understandable character (despite the fact I could quite cheerfully have throttled him with my bare hands).

And it is the people in Coming Home to Island House that make it such a compelling read. Arthur aside (whom I loathed without reservation even at the end of the book) I felt I could happily have spent time with any one of the people between the pages. Whilst some minor characters are slightly stereotypical, such as the pompous vicar, the protagonists are wonderfully drawn individuals. These are real, flawed, complex people with lives that are challenging, imperfect and captivating to the reader. I loved Romily and Florence in particular. They come from opposing ends of the social spectrum but have many similar qualities so that there is a very clear message that birth and money do not equal worth and value.

What I so enjoyed, was that whilst World War Two is so frequently a backdrop to what might be called women’s fiction, Erica James uses it as a catalyst for action so skilfully, providing a sensitive insight into the impact of those directly and indirectly affected by its events, giving the reader a wonderful understanding of the time and the people. There’s also a smashing depiction of village life and the way in which the mores of society evolved and changed at the time. I’d love to see this novel picked up for a television drama as I think it has all the elements of perfect Sunday evening viewing, exploring as it does social standing, adultery, illegitimacy, feminism and patriotism.

Coming Home to Island House has a cracking plot too. At times it is surprisingly almost brutal but always realistic so that whilst I began reading the story thinking smugly that I knew how it would all pan out, I found several surprises along the way, making for a highly entertaining and very satisfying read. It might sound trivial, but I also loved the way the chapters were constructed. In a busy life, a short chapter that really packs a punch, ends brilliantly and leads on the reader to the next part of the narrative, but is short enough to be read in its entirety in 10 minutes or so is just a delight.

Coming Home to Island House is Erica James at her very best. It has wonderful characters, an engaging plot and mature, thought-provoking themes making it a fulfilling, hugely enjoyable read. I really recommend it.

About Erica James

With an insatiable appetite for other people’s business, Erica James will readily strike up conversation with strangers in the hope of unearthing a useful gem for her writing. She finds it the best way to write authentic characters for her novels, although her two grown-up sons claim they will never recover from a childhood spent in a perpetual state of embarrassment at their mother’s compulsion.

The author of many bestselling novels, including Gardens of Delight, which won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, and her Sunday Times top ten bestsellers, Summer At The Lake and The Dandelion Years, Erica now divides her time between Suffolk and Lake Como in Italy, where she strikes up conversation with unsuspecting Italians.

You can find Erica on Facebook, follow her on Twitter and visit her website.

I’m so thrilled to welcome back Holly Seddon, author of Don’t Close Your Eyes, to Linda’s Book Bag. Holly scared the living daylights out of me with a guest post entitled Closer to Home when Don’t Close Your Eyes was originally released and you can read that post here.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me and tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Holly Seddon

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Holly. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share and why have you chosen it?

The book I’ve brought along is Don’t Close Your Eyes, my second novel. I’d describe it as a thriller wrapped in a family drama. It follows the lives of Robin and Sarah, non-identical twins who were separated as children and who are now broken in different ways. Once a successful musician, Robin is now a recluse living in a state of paranoia – with good reason. Sarah has been thrown out of her home, kept from her little girl and believes that her twin is the one person who can save her, whatever the cost.

What can we expect from an evening in with Don’t Close Your Eyes?

I thought I’d share some reader quotes:

“This book really was excellent. I loved the characters (except the ones I loved to hate!), the chapters set in the 90s were such a treat to read, and there were plenty of twists and turns that I did not see coming.” – NatalieBB on Amazon

“This is a novel about two sisters, twin sisters, Sarah and Robin. The novel alternates between Sarah’s first person narrative and Robin’s third person narrative. It also alternates between the present day and the past, starting in 1989 and then slowly moving forward year by year to trace the lives of the girls; gradually revealing the complex, dysfunctional family life of Sarah and Robin and gradually revealing why they are struggling so much in their present.” – Katherine Sunderland

“Don’t Close Your Eyes is the much anticipated second novel by Holly Seddon. If you’re going to start reading this one, you’re going to have to make sure that you don’t have any plans for the rest of the day, it’ll grab you from the first page and you literally won’t be able to put it down until you have finished, prepare to be hooked by Holly.” – Jacob Collins

(Those are wonderful responses Holly and as I know those particular reviewers are brilliant, you must be thrilled.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

Well, Robin from Don’t Close Your Eyes is a former rock guitarist and she and her close friend (no spoilers) spend a lot of time playing guitar as teenagers, channelling their adolescent rage into music as so many of us do. So I think the music would be classic rock, nothing too heavy for our cosy evening though!

So much of Don’t Close Your Eyes features the girls’ 90s childhoods and teen years, so I think we can have some 90s food and drink. Maybe some Tango for the non-drinkers, and I’m afraid – if we’re true to the era – probably some alcopops and Malibu and Coke for the rest. I’ll bring some wine anyway though!

Let’s have some Pop Tarts and Choco Dips for those with a sweet tooth, some Ferrero Rocher for the fancier among us. Definitely some Micro Chips. And whatever party food we have, you can be sure there’ll be some sour cream dip on the side. I feel like my whole 90s experience was dipped into sour cream.

(Crikey Holly. I’m not sure staying in with you is good for my waistline! Thanks so much for sharing Don’t Close Your Eyes with us.)

Don’t Close Your Eyes

Robin and Sarah weren’t the closest of twins. They weren’t even that similar. But they loved each other dearly. Until, in the cruellest of domestic twists, they were taken from one another.

Now, in her early 30s, Robin lives alone. Agoraphobic and suffering from panic attacks, she spends her days pacing the rooms of her house. The rest of the time she watches – watches the street, the houses, the neighbours. Until one day, she sees something she shouldn’t…

And Sarah? Sarah got what she wanted – the good-looking man, the beautiful baby, the perfect home. But she’s just been accused of the most terrible thing of all. She can’t be around her new family until she has come to terms with something that happened a long time ago. And to do that, she needs to track down her twin sister.

But Sarah isn’t the only person looking for Robin. As their paths intersect, something dangerous is set in motion, leading Robin and Sarah to fight for much more than their relationship…

Don’t Close Your Eyes is available for purchase here.

About Holly Seddon

Holly Seddon is a full time writer, living slap bang in the middle of Amsterdam with her husband James and a house full of children and pets. Holly has written for newspapers, websites and magazines since her early 20s after growing up in the English countryside, obsessed with music and books.

Her first novel Try Not To Breathe was published worldwide in 2016 and became a national and international bestseller.

You can follow Holly on Twitter @hollyseddon, visit her website or find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

When I was inspecting, consulting and advising on literacy and English I was a firm advocate of tying in sport and literacy as a means to involve as many children as possible. With this in mind, when I realised Jordan Lyons had a new sports based book, Crunch Time Cam, out for young readers I had to ask him onto Linda’s Book Bag to discuss his thoughts about sports and literacy and he has written a super guest post to share today.

Crunch Time Cam is published today, 9th January 2018, and is available for purchase here.

Crunch Time Cam

Basketball is in Cameron Flint’s blood. His brothers are taking the state by storm with their play on the school’s varsity team. Cam hopes he can do the same one day, but he has a few years to go.

Now that he’s finally old enough to join the local league, Cam is eager to live up to the family legacy there. He has the talent, but there’s only one problem: Cam’s teammates have barely played basketball before. Can Cameron’s explosive play elevate his team to the level of league champions or will he fail to live up to the family name?

Crunch Time Cam is a fast-paced, action-packed sports novel for young readers that reminds us that basketball is a team sport.

Sports and Literacy

A Guest Post by Jordan Lyons

For kids (and all of us, really), life can be an aggregation of anxiety and stress. It’s full of social and academic pressures. Children and teens seek an oasis from this drudgery just like we do. Often they turn to tiny screens filled with social media, video games, or whatever their favorite apps happen to be. Those distractions aren’t necessarily bad things, but suggesting activities such as sports and literacy can have a big impact on how your child develops and create lifelong habits for them.

Strangely enough, it seems like sports and literacy are often pitted against one another. It’s the nerd versus jock stereotype, right? But in actuality, they can go hand in hand and help to build similar habits. The benefits of these two facets of life are numerous, but I’m going to detail some of my favorites:

Sports & Athletics

Social Skills

Sports can develop or round out many different social skills. Teamwork, participation, effort, practice, dedication, communication – I feel like I could go on and on. These skills won’t be limited to the playing field either. They will use them in school and in their careers.

Health

Exercise is an obvious one, but it is crucial to kid’s lives:

Higher activity rates in children are correlated with higher test scores.

Exercise lowers the risk of many diseases and obesity.

Frequent exercise decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.

Life Lessons

Athletics are competitions and in competitions, there are usually winners and losers. Sports can help kids learn how to cope with the fact that life is not perfect and sometimes you might lose or fail. Often times, those moments are the ones where we learn the most and motivate us to improve.

Literacy & Reading

Walk In Someone Else’s Shoes

The world of literature is filled with characters with different stories and worldviews. Connecting with these characters who have different values or perspectives and seeing that these characters are just like the reader produces empathy for others that kids might not get otherwise. Often times these experiences might not come unless you can travel the globe. The good news is that going to your local library is more affordable than traveling the world.

Education

Reading outside of the formal classroom is a large boon to your child’s learning. It will boost their vocabulary and make them more comfortable with school texts. Research indicates that when children are reached with high quality early learning experiences, they are 40% less likely to fall behind in school and 70% more likely to graduate from high school.

Health

Health can be a key benefit of reading, too. But perhaps it is less obvious than in sports. Reading has been shown to improve memorization. Getting engrossed in a story also reduces stress or anxiety. Creating a bedtime ritual of reading will also aid in sleep.

The great thing about sports and literacy is that you can start building passion and habits for them right now. It is as easy as heading to your local library, turning off the TV, reading to your kids, or going outside to play kick a soccer ball as a family.

About Jordan Lyons

Jordan Lyons is an author and podcaster based in Central Florida. His new book, Crunch Time Cam, following a young basketball player struggling to live up to the family name is available for as a paperback or an e-book.

To find out more about Jordan, visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @lyonsjor.